Can body construction



Feb. 7 19% w. TOMARIN CAN BODY CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Marchso, 1946 INVENTOR. mlli mm Tvmarimo 2&96568 Feb, 7 19503 w. TQMARIN cmBODY CONSTRUCTION Filed March so, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet '2 ZINVENTOR,

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Patented Feb. 7, 1950 UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE CAN BODY CONSTRUCTIONWilliam Tomarin, Cincinnati, Ohio Application March 30, 1946, Serial No.658,546

9 Claims. (01. 220-54) The present invention relates to can bodies forhermetically sealed, reclosable containers, particularly of the typewhich are initially openable by removal of a tear strip with the aid ofa winding key.

An object of the invention is to provide a onepiece body for cans orcontainers of this type, which body includes the cylindrical wall of thecontainer and of the cover together with the socalled collar portion andtear strip.

Another object of the invention is to provide a container body of thischaracter which is strong, neat and attractive appearing, and subject toeffective reclosure after the removal of the hermetic seal.

Still another object'of the invention is to provide a one-piececonstruction of blanked and formed metal, using a minimum of so-calledshrinkage metal to provide on the finished seamed can body a pair ofcircumferential, parallel, external beads or shoulders behind andbetween which are disposed a tear strip panel and a reeniorced integralcollar for the ultimately reclosable container.

Still other objects of the invention are to provide a container of theclass described wherein the inside wall surface is smooth and straightfrom the bottom to the top and which, when separated forms a reusablecontainer and an externally fitting slidable cover, both of which arefree of raw metal edges which are characteristic of heretofore knowncontainers of this general type.

The invention has as further objects the provision of a container ofthis kind which is economical of manufacture and adapted for athermetically sealed and vacuumized closure for various products offluid, plastic or powdered forms.

These and other important objects are attained by the means describedherein and exemplified in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of hermetically sealed containerembodying the invention, part 2 with parts broken away, forming a detailof the invention.

Fig. 4a is a fragmental plan view of a modified form of body having onthe right-hand side thereof an alternative form and location of a tongueor tab forming a detail of the invention.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic edge view of the blank shown in Fig. 4.

Figs. 6, 7, 8 and 9 are diagrammatic edge views of the can body blank atsuccessive stages of the forming operation.

Heretofore hermetically sealed, metal containers provided with tearstrips and adapted for a so-called vacuumizing process have been subjectto objections as to safety in handling and to the effectiveness of thereclosure after the removal of the seal. Almost invariably the covers ofheretofore known containers of this class have been poorly fitting andboth the container and the cover have rough, raw metal edges producedthereon by the removal of the tear strip. The heretofore known and usedcontainers of this kind have a separately formed and applied ring orcollar designed to function as a flange for slidabli receiving the coverafter the seal is broken, but these separately made collars are usuallystructurally weak and insecurely attached and they become loose orseparated at the time the tear strip is removed and thus make reclosureof the container unsatisfactory. The heretofore used containers embodying separately formed and attached collars pro vide an interiorlyirregular surface of the container so that substances like fats andshortenings can not be removed in a cleanly, thorough fashion and sothat fluid substances such as paints and the like can not be properly orcompletely poured and drained therefrom.

By the means of the present invention the use of a separately formedcollar is eliminated along with the considerable amount of theoperational cost involved in making them. The interior wall of thecontainer embodying the present invention is smooth and substantiallystraight from the bottom of the container to the top of the cover. Theremoval of the tear strip in order to break the hermetic seal iseffected in the conventional manner by the tear strip panel, and theexternal beads or shoulders on the body are so related that theheretofore unavoidable raw edges on the container and cover are smoothedoutwardly against the inside of the beads and the dangerous raw edgesare eliminated in the operation of initially openingthe sealedcontainer.

depth of the circular wall of the cover for the can and is inclusive ofthe necessary metal for forming part of the top seam 22 which joins thehead or top disc 23 of the container.

It will be noted that the intermediate section of metal of the can bodyis formed and folded upon itself in a manner hereinafter more fullysingle line in Fig. 5. The blank is then subjected to the action of acompound metal brake which folds panels I and I80 respectively uponthemselves in the direction of their width and at the same time offsetsthe metal from the bottom of tear strip panel upwardly with relation tothe panel l9, thus leaving the intermediate panel 2| at right angles topanels l9 and 20. By progressively rolling and forming the metal andreducing the angularity between the panels, panel 2| is folded tosuperposed relation with panel IS with the connecting bend at the top asat while the panels 20 and 2| are connected at the bottom as at 3|. Thebead folds H and |8 are initially bent so slightly as to permit panelsI9, 20 and 2| to assume substantial superposition whereupon said headfolds and I8 are comdescribed which provides in the completed sealedcontainer a very strong reenforcing band or section constituted by beadsI! and I8 and the metal between them. It will also be pointed out thatthis rigidity and structural strength is not materially reduced when thehermetic seal is broken and the integral body l6 becomes divided into acontainer body and a cover body which slidably fits over the mouth ofthe container until the shoulders I"! and I8 are brought into abutment.

A comparison of Figs. 1 and 2 will readily disclose that after removalof the tear strip panel these shoulders l1 and 8 approach each other andcan now abut one with the other so that the height of the unsealed andreclosed container is decreased by approximately (but not quite) thewidth of the tear strip which was removed. It

will be noted that at this point, and hereinafter explained that thecircular wall portion It!) attached to the top disc 23 and the wall ISof the container initially lie in a common plane when the sealedcontainer is complete, but are snugly slidable one over the other forthe purpose of reclosure after the tear strip is removed.

Reference is now made to Fig. 4 showing the can body blank from whichthe foregoing structure is derived. The portions or panels l9 and 20 areof a length which equals the circumference of the container to be madefrom the blank. The main body portion I6 below and the portion or stripI60 above this group of panels are slightly longer at each end toprovide end marginal portions 24 which are ultimately folded,interlocked and soldered to form the can body seam 25 in conventionalmanner and by any approved method. Below the collar strip l9 and abovethe tear strip panel 20 are very narrow sections I10 and I80 which, incourse of folding, forming and rolling are turned in the center to formdouble thicknesses of metal to form the shoulders I! and I8respectively. The tear strip panel 20 is scored in known manner slightlyinwardly of its upper and lower boundaries as shown in dotted lines at26 (see Fig. 4). The intermediate metal constituting the actualremovable tear strip 21 is extended an appreciable distance at one endto form a key tab 28. The panel 2| which lies intermediate panels l9 and20 (see Figs. 1, 4 and 9) is slightly extended, preferably on a commonend with the tab 28 to form an overlapped lug 29 which, it should benoted, is actually slightly wider than panel 2|. The can body blanks arestamped from sheet metal stock of the customary light gauge metalemployed in producing the wellknown vacuumized containers and have theoutline defined in full lines in Fig. 4. This is schematicallyrepresented in end edge elevation by a pressed on the outside of tearstrip panel 20. The edges 32 of shoulder beads l1 and I8 now conceal thescore lines 26-26 in the tear strip panel. The compound fold, justdescribed, is rolled to a substantially flattened, compressed conditionas shown schematically in Fig. 9 and in crosssection in Fig. 1, with thetapered key tab 28 of the tear strip fully exposed and projecting beyondthe end of the beads. The can bodies thus formed are now submitted to abending and clamping mechanism. Here the left-hand end of panel I9 isbrought into abutment with the squared-off, right-hand end of panel 2|and the lug 29 on the left-hand end of panel 2| overlaps behind theabutting joint of the panels (see Fig. 3). The opposite ends of bead l1and of bead l8 respectively are brought into abutment at the same time,and the ends of tear strip panel 20 are brought together with the narrowtapered tab 28 overlapping and accessibly exposed on the outside of thecylinder. Due to the interposed, non-abutting lug 29 alone, or with theaid of compensating formation in the lock seaming hammer and its mandrel(not shown) a slight separation S occurs for a short distance on eitherside of the seam between the inner face of the tear strip and theremainder of the integral collar which is constituted by panels I9 and20. Prior to the operation of the lock seamer, and while the parts areretained in the position just described, the end marginal portions 24completely overlap one another ready for the lock seaming stroke andflattening of the conventional lock seam 25.

The lock seam is now ready for the soldering or sealing operation inconventional manner. It is to be noted at this point however that thesolder follows the innermost exposed edge of panel l9 as it fiows alongthe lock seam 25 above and below the formed circumferential panelsection. The solder may thus run fully into the abutment joint at theends of panels I9 and 2| but the solder is precluded from flowingfurther to the outside of the can by reason of the overlap occasioned bylug 29. Thus the tear strip panel can not become soldered to theadjacent face of collar forming panel 2|. It will also be noted that theactual circumference of the collar has been slightly reduced due to theseparation thereof from the tear strip, this reduction occurring withina narrow space in the vicinity of the lock seam 25.

- Once the tear strip 21 has been severed from the completed can'body,the cover flange portion I60 bound on its free edge by shoulder bead 18becomes entirely free of the remainder of the can body. The container isnow adapted for re- 'closure, and by reason of the slight reduction ofthe circumference of the collar l9--2l, and due to the rigidity of thebead on the cover, the mere forcing together of the cover and collarwill equalize and distribute the reduction throughout the circumferenceof the collar and allow the cover to snugly fit and be easily slid overthe collar. It will be appreciated that such an exteriorly sliding coverforms a dust tight and a very snug reclosure for the container. It willalso be noted that the top edge of the integral collar now exposed isformed of a fold along the boundary line between panels [9 and 2| sothat it is entirely smooth and free from danger of cutting the user.

It will be further noted that the slight bottom overhang of lug 29 willbe carried into this fold and will avoid an abrupt break in the jointwhere the ends of the collar are brought together in the manner shown inFig. 3. The slight upper projection of lug 29 which terminates justshort of the tear strip tab and is separated therefrom, as will be seenin Fig. 4, extends downwardly and enters behind the fold of bead l1.These portions become solder coated and form a positive closure againstany possible needle-point aperture that might otherwise result in thevicinity of the bead. The purpose of this refinement is to assure thatevery can body so formed and completed by conventional productionmethods will have a continuous air-tight seam and render the containerformed therefrom suitable for a vacuumizing process. In this fashionthere is in ef fect simultaneously attained in the soldering operationthe sealing of the lock seam above and below the collar and bead sectionand also the solder and sealing of the abutting and overlapped joints inthe integral collar while the tear strip portion is amply protectedagainst accidental bonding by the solder in a manner which might impairthe effectiveness of the tear strip removal operation when the can is tobe opened.

As an alternative construction which would be effective for containerswherein a vacuum seal is not imperative but wherein the strength of thejoint of the integral container body is to be established, the lug 29may be omitted and in lieu thereof, on the same or on the opposite endof panel 2 l, a rounded tongue 290 which is not wider than the panel 2!may be employed (see Fig. 4a). This tongue 2% would be adapted to enterbetween panels l9 and El and be wholly concealed therein. It would servea comparable function with that of lug 29 (previously described) in thatthe collar is reinforced and the flow of scam sealing solder would beprecluded from reaching the tear strip.

In summary it will be noted that containers embodying the inVentiOnprovide the unique feature of complete safety edges on all parts beforeand after breaking hermetic seal, that except for a very smallcircumferential portion adjacent the seam the inner side wall is flatand continues from the bottom disc to the top disc, and that the slightreduction of the circumference of the collar becomes automaticallydistributed throughout the circumference when the slip cover is forcedonto the container collar. All these desirable features are attained ata minimum cost in manufacturing operations and in metal. It is preferredfor all ordinary containers to allot a uniform one-inch section in thecan body blank from which are developed the beads, the double thicknesscontainer collar and the tear strip and hence the folding operations canbe performed on all blanks regardless of the circumference or the heightof the container to be made according to the invention.

This will be a further saving in tools and machinery and allows theproduction of containers of all sizes to proceed with a uniform width ofshrinkage and a substantiall identical cost of operation.

The safety-edge hermetically sealed can of the invention isadvantageously used in one-gallon sizes or larger as a paint container.Large paint cans with conventional gutter type collars and snap-in typecovers sometimes become leaky at the cover after storage in heatedatmosphere due to pressures developed by expansion of the volatilecontent of the paint. Deterioration and/or .loss of the paint asexperienced in larger con-' tainers of conventionally packaged paints iseliminated by the use of my improved can. The strong hermetical sealresists tampering with contents and opening by internal pressures. Onceopened the container presents a smooth straight inside wall that has asmooth top edge free of overhang so that the contents may be freelypoured and completely drained without difiiculty or loss of paint. Thepainters brush may be drained of excess paint to the interior of the canand there is no accumulation of paint exteriorly to hinder reclosure bymeans of the smooth sliding cover with or without the use of aninterposed waxed paper sheet to form a, tight leak proof reclosure.

The can blank of the invention, when decorated by lithography is leftfree of coating on all seam forming margins in conventional manner. Thebead forming panels I10 and I and the metal between them is also leftbare and uncoated. The finished lithographed can body thus presents apleasing and attractive appearance due to the outstanding parallel,bright metal beads l1 and i8 matching the appearance of the seams at thetop and bottom of the can.

The cans embodying the invention are desirable as canisters after theseal is removed thus permitting safe handling for repeated dispensing ofsmall amounts of the contents and snug reclosure to preserve theremaining content of the What is claimed is:

1. A cylindrical body for a hermetically sealed, reclosable can, saidbody having intermediate its to and bottom edges an annular multi-foldedsection, said section comprising three superposed concentric panels, theintermediate panel being integrally connected at its top with theinnermost panel and at its bottom with the outermost panel, and a pairof external narrow folds bent toward each other and respectivelyoverhanging the top and bottom edges of said outermost panel andproviding circumferential shoulder beads, said outermost panel havingcircumferential score lines near its edges and disposed in concealedrelation respectively beyond the edges of said shoulder beads, the metalof said outermost panel intermediate said score lines being removable inknown fashion as a tear strip effecting a remaining metal edge at thelocation of the lowermost score line disposed in positively inaccessiblerelation below the top of the lowermost circumferential bead andintermediate said bead and the intermediate panel.

2. A unitary can body for a hermetically sealed, reclosable sheet metalcontainer provided circumferentially intermediate its top and bottomedges with a multi-foldeed section, said section comprising spacedapart, narrow folds turned toward each other exteriorly of the body toform shoulder beads, and three concentric, annular panels dislines inknown manner serves to smooth the remaining severed edges against theinsides of the respective shoulders and to provide an exterior slipcover and a container top having an integral "smooth edge collar flangefor receiving said cover,

the edge of the remaining metal at the lower score line beinginaccessibly disposed intermediate the base of said collar and theadjacent shoulder bead and below the top of saidshoulder bead.

3. A unitary can body fora hermetically sealed, reclosable sheet metalcontainer provided circumferentially intermediate its top and bottomedges with a multi-iolded section, said section comprising spaced apart,narrow folds turned toward each other exteriorly of the body to formshoulder beads, and three concentric, annular panels disposed betweenand behind said shoulder beads, the intermediate panel being connectedintegrally along its top with the innermost panel and along its bottomwith the outermost panel, said outermost panel having circumferentialscore lines closely adjacent its upper and lower edges and disposed inconcealed relation beyond adjacent edges of the respective shoulderbeads where- .by removal of the metal intermediate the score lines inknown manner serves to smooth the remaining severed edges against theinsides of the respective shoulders and provides a safety-edge, externalsliding cover and a safet -edge, externally shouldered container forreceiving said cover the innermost and intermediate panels formin asmooth topped container flange rendering the lowermost severed edgeinaccessible (from one side while the adjacent shoulder bead encirclingsaid container at the base of said flange renders said severed edgeinaccessible from the opposite side.

4. A one-piece, cylindrical body for a hermetically sealed, reclosablemetal container comprising a metal sheet transversely folded and formedintermediate its top and bottom edges to provide three concentric andvertically co-extensive panels, the outermost of which constitutes aconventional tear strip panel having a free tab for a Winding key andprovided adjacent its bottom and top edges respectively with score linesin parallelism defining a removable tear strip, a folded and exteriorlydownwardly bent over shoulder bead connecting the body above said panelswith the outermost panel at the top and overhanging the upper scoreline, a folded and upwardly turned shoulder exterior bead overhangingthe lower score line of the tear strip panel and integrally connectingthe innermost panel and the body of the container below said panels,said outermost panel being integrally connected at its bottom with thebottom of the intermediate panel, said intermediate panel beingconnected integrally along its top with the top of the innermost panel,said innermost panel being integrally connected along its bottom withthe inside of the lower shoulder bead, the ends of said body above andbelow said shoulder beads being lock seam connected in conventionalmanner, the intermediate panel being provided at one end with anextended lug which is wider than said intermediate panel, said lugadapted to provide a combined overlapped and edge abutting joint forsaid innermost and intermediate panels, the excess width of the lu atthe ibottom serving to extend the lap joint below the butt joint, theexcess width of the 1118 at the top being turned inwardly and serving toconceal the top edge of the butt joint, said lug being interposed behindthe juncture of the ends of the tear strip and serving to provide, oneither side of the joint, a free separation of the tear strip panel fromthe adjacent sides of the intermediate panel.

5. A can body provided intermediate its top and bottom edges with threeconcentric panels connected at the top of the outermost panel and at thebottom of the innermost panel respectively by narrow double folds, saidfolds overlapping slightly the top and bottom exterior marginsrespectively of the outermost panel, said outermost panel being a tearstrip panel having scored tear lines concealed behind said folds, thesevered edge behind the lower overlapping fold occasioned by removal ofthe tear strip being completely inaccessible between said fold and theintermediate panel.

6. A can body as set forth in claim 5 wherein the opposite ends of theinnermost and the intermediate panel are arranged and connected to forman edge butt joint and a lap joint covering the butt joint andseparating said butt joint from the tear strip panel.

7. A cylindrical can body provided circumferentially at a distance belowits top edge with a multi-fold integral section constituting a containercollar, a tear strip panel, and shoulder beads disposed exteriorly inslightly overlapping relation to opposite edges of the tear strip panel,said container collar being constituted by two panels connected at thetop by an integral fold, the innermost panel disposed in the plane ofthe can body and turned outwardly beneath all of the panels andconnected with the lower shoulder bead, the tear strip panel having itslower scored tear-line concealed behind said lower shoulder whereby theremoval of the tear strip in known fashion affords an inaccessiblylocated metal edge on the outermost panel protected on opposite sides bysaid lower shoulder and said container collar.

8. A unitary cylindrical container body and cover flange comprisinginitially spaced apart folded and turned upper and lower bead membersand a triple fold of metal between them constituting a double walledcollar having its innermost wall disposed in a common plane with saidbody and extending below all of said folds for integral connection withthe inside of the lower bead member, and a single ply tear strip foldhaving score lines concealed behind said upper and lower bead members,the metal between the score lines being removable by means of aconventional tear strip winding key to sever the upper bead from thelower bead the metal edge resulting, upon opening of the container byremoval of the tear strip, being inaccessibly disposed exteriorly at thebase of said collar and internally of and below the top of the lowerbead member.

9. In a hermetically sealed, reclosable container the combination of acan body folded intermediate its top and bottom edges into threecoextensive, concentric panels connected at the top of the outermostpanel and at the bottom of the innermost panel respectively by narrowdouble folds, said folds being turned toward each other and overlappingslightly the top and bottom exterior margins respectively of theoutermost panel, said ipanel having marginal scored tear lines disposedconcealedly between the panels and said *folds and adapted, upon removal:of the metal between the score lines to .provide an inaocessiblydisposed metal edge on the container, a top disc and a loottom disc lockseamed to opposite ends of the body in conventional manner, and a doublelock hoidy seam extending from said top and bottom lock seams to theadjacent narrow double folds, the intermediate concentric panel havingan end lug relatively wider than the panel and adapted to smoothly coverthe top edge of a floutt joint formed by an adjacent panel, said panelstogether forming a smooth top [container collar, the opposite end ofsaid lug serving to close the bottom of the butt joint.

WILLIAM TOMARIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

